Automatic Taxi Star “She’s a Bit” (2000) Running a little over two minutes, this peppy pop-punk song carries a bittersweet message in the sugary vocals by singer Tiffany Fredianelli, but it’ll still put a smile on your face. bit.ly/2sPFrg6 –Josh Bell

Jacob Smigel “Mandarin Oranges” (2007) How many folk ditties about syrupy fruit can bring a tear to your eye? Just one that I know of. jacobsmigel.bandcamp.com/track/mandarin-oranges –Spencer Patterson

Love Pentagon “People Who Expect Nothing Will Never Be Disappointed” (2007) The dance-punk quintet’s members now reside all over the country, but we’ll always have the music, like this brazen cut that powered so many fun-filled nights Downtown. bit.ly/2sPwaVu –Leslie Ventura

The Mad Caps “Rosie and the Wolfman” (2011) A pulsating drum beat, howling vocals and a dirty, gasoline-soaked guitar riff—this track sums up the Bunkhouse vibe of the era, before the garage-y duo headed off to Seattle. wearethemadcaps.com/track/rosie-and-the-wolfman –LV

The Chapter “Screwface” (2007) Flash back to the days when Verbal E. and 3Sixty ruled the scene with smooth, socially conscious, Roots-endorsed hip-hop. open.spotify.com/track/5rq8i6dogzhiCjbFxjB0lx –SP

A Crowd of Small Adventures “Bang Bang” (2007) From the first few plucks of the guitar strings to the song’s lofty chorus, “Bang Bang” still captures the indie heartbeat of Las Vegas after all these years. acrowdofsmalladventures.bandcamp.com/track/bang-bang –LV

12 Volt Sex “Over Divine” (2000) In an alternate universe where this was the first alt-rock band to break out of Vegas, this could’ve been 12 Volt’s “Mr. Brightside”: a catchy, energetic pop-rock song that’s in eternal radio rotation and gets people singing along every time it comes on. soundcloud.com/12voltsex/over-divine –JB

The Bleachers “Build an Army” (2008) This trio operated away from the spotlight (and the stage, mostly) in its day, but all three Bleachers discs hold up as well as the best national indie from the era. open.spotify.com/track/2HWZvm2Cd4599tCH3zuUZs –SP

Afghan Raiders “Future Thinkers” (2008) For a moment, it seemed the whole world would get turned on to the Raiders’ ecstatic electronic-rock sound. youtube.com/watch?v=3Q_A1sjooV8 –SP

Holding Onto Sound “A Girl Called Lightning” (2007) HOTS would go on to craft better albums, but this single track will always encapsulate the punks’ anthemic power. holdingontosound.bandcamp.com/track/a-girl-called-lightning –SP

Caravels “Snake Plissken” (2011) Everything great about the hardcore quintet happens here—shifting dynamics, cryptic lyrics and, at 2:40, a moment of such intensity, you’ll consider rushing the stage, even if you’re twice as old as everyone else in the room. caravels.bandcamp.com/track/snake-plissken-2 –SP

The Clydesdale “Dale Torro” (2007) What’s better for summer than a good, old-fashioned country murder ballad, radiating desert heat and dust? clydesdale.bandcamp.com/track/dale-torro –JB